Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2024) - ME Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (CSE: METX) (FSE: Q9T) ("ME Therapeutics" or the "Company"), a preclinical stage biotechnology company working on novel cancer fighting drugs in the field of immuno-oncology, is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with NanoVation Therapeutics Inc. ("NanoVation Therapeutics"). This partnership aims to test the delivery and efficacy of mRNA-based drug candidates targeted to myeloid cells.

ME Therapeutics aims to enhance the precision and efficacy of myeloid cell-delivered mRNA therapeutics in vivo to develop potential new cancer therapies by leveraging the cutting-edge lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies of NanoVation Therapeutics. NanoVation Therapeutics' next-generation lipid nanoparticle platforms enable the efficient nucleic acid delivery to a variety of tissues. To efficiently target immune cells, NanoVation Therapeutics has rationally designed and further optimized its long-circulating LNP (lcLNP?) technology. NanoVation Therapeutics has initiated numerous programs across multiple RNA modalities.

"We believe that nucleic acid-based medicines are the next wave in the treatment of cancer and other diseases," said Salim Dhanji, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of ME Therapeutics. "New drug candidates have the potential to be developed and tested at unprecedented speeds and lower costs than conventional drugs, allowing scientists to move quickly from an idea towards clinical testing. We are thrilled to collaborate with NanoVation Therapeutics as they have deep expertise in LNP delivery which will be critical for unlocking new medicines by enabling precise delivery and targeting of mRNA to key targets such as myeloid cells."

"This partnership to develop mRNA therapeutics targeting immune suppression in cancer underscores the critical importance of both immune-modulating mRNAs and their efficient delivery using LNP technology," said Dominik Witzigmann, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of NanoVation Therapeutics. "Combining ME Therapeutics' myeloid-focused immuno-oncology expertise with NanoVation Therapeutics' leadership in RNA delivery offers exciting opportunities for developing novel mRNA therapies for cancer patients."

The initial stage of this collaboration will involve testing the delivery and efficacy of two undisclosed target mRNAs to tumor-associated myeloid cells in vivo in a mouse colon cancer model.

The collaboration will be governed by a Collaborative Material Transfer Agreement dated effective June 27, 2024 (the "Agreement") between ME Therapeutics and NanoVation Therapeutics, and by a Statement of Work ("SOW") that will be entered into by the parties in connection with each project. The Agreement includes standard confidentiality terms, provisions for setting project budgets in each SOW, and terms relating to intellectual property ownership. Pursuant to the Agreement, the parties have granted each other limited licenses for certain intellectual property necessary for collaboration on specific projects.